Buckle-guard



(No Model.)

S. S. SARGEANT.

BUCKLE GUARD.

No. 426,517. Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

WITNESSES: INVE/VTOI? wmm BY 1 ATTORNEY.

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aTnNT SAMUEL S. SARGEANT, OF NEYVARK, NEW/' JERSEY.

BUCKLE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 426,517, dated April 29, 1890.

Application filed December 17, 1889. Serial No. 334,093. (No model.)

for the purpose of protecting the point of the ton gue and preventing its catching upon anything with which it may come in contact, such guards being specially adapted for harness-buckles to prevent the tail or inane of the horse from catching under the tongue of the buckle.

The object of the present invention is to provide such abuckle-guard which can readily be used with straps and buckles in common use, which shall be sightly and neat in appearance, which shall be efficient for its purpose, and which shall be simple in construction and cheap in its manufacture.

The improved buckle-guard is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a face view of a strap and buckle with the guard applied. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a face View of the buckleguard detached. Fig. i is a side view of the same. Fig. 5 is a face view of a modification, and Figs. 6 and 7 are face and side views of a second modification.

A B are the meeting ends of two straps.

G is the buckle-frame.

D is the crossbar thereof, which passes over the face of the strap B, and E is the buckle-tongue, the point of which rests on the cross-bar D of the buckle-frame. For convenience of description the face of the strap over which the bar D extends will be considered its upper side, and the back of the strap will be considered its lower side. These terms, however, are used relatively only, and are employed in order to express definitely the two sides of the strap.

F is the buckle-guard as a whole, which is made of a single integral piece of 1netal,being either cast, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, or made of wire suitably bent, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. This buckleguard is composed of two metallic loops G and H, the apertures of which, as shown, are entirely separated from each other and have no communication. the one with the other, the two loops being joined together. The juncture, union, or joint a between the two loops is above the strap B whenthe guard is in position thereon, so that each loop is closed 6 bove the strap. Zach loop G or H is composed of a crossbar Z), in a different plane from the joint a, (the two cross-bars b b of the two loops being in the same plane,) which crossbar at its opposite ends is connected to the joint to by means of two bends c c.

In using the buckle-guard the free end of the strap B is first passed through the aperture of the loop G, the cross-bar 1) thereof being below the strap and the joint to being above the strap. The free end of the strap is then passed through the buckle-frame C beneath its cross-bar D. Then the free end of the strap B is passed through the second loop H, passing above the cross-bar 1) thereof. The tongue E of the buckle is then passed through one of the holes in the strap B, and its end rests on the cross-barD of the buckleframe.

hen in position, the upper part of the buckle-guard rests directly upon the crossbar I) of the buckle-frame, its joint a being ii'nmediately thereabove. Owing to the cross bars I) Z) of the guard being in a different plane from the joint a, the strap is readily and easily passed through the apertures of the two loops G and II, and the position of the strap is not affected thereby. The loop H is so shaped or recessed above the strap and next the joint a that the latter lies directly across or in front of the point of the buckle tongue and in the same plane therewith. The joint to does not lie upon the buckletongue, so that no portion of the buckleguard extends farther out frointhe face of the strap than does the point of the buckle-tongue itself. The point of the buckle-tongue is thus also entirely exposed to View, so that it can be easily manipulated in attaching, detaching, or adjusting the strap. Atthe same time the joint a lies directly across and in front of the point of the tongue, so that no hairs or other thing can pass beneath the tongue or so that when the buckle-guard is in place the split and separated ends of the bar I) straddle the body of the buckle-tongue beneath the strap, so that the buckle-guard accommodates itself to the strap andto the. buckleframe. In the modification, however, shown in Fig. 5 both bars I) extend entirely across, and there is no straddling of the buckletongue.

In the constructions shown in Figs. l to 5, inclusive, the buckle-guard is a cast metallic skeleton frame only, the several bars I) b and and bends c 0 being of wire form, and the joint a being asimple union between the four bends c c.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the buckle-guard is a wire frame composed of a single piece of wire bent to form the several loops, bars, and bends. The wire is bent over upon itself, the superimposed portions of the wire constituting the union or joint a. The separation and independence of the apertures of the two loops G H are, however, retained, each being closed above the strap, and in all substantial respects the wire guard is identical with the cast guards.

I am aware that hitherto sheet-metal, castmetal, and wire bu ckle-guards have been used, and make no claim to buckle-guards, except as shown and described.

I claim as my invention 1. A buckle-guard for protecting the tongue of a buckle, made of a single piece of metal and consisting of two metallic loops, through the aperture of each of which the strap passes,

the apertures of said loops being on tir'elysepara'ted from each other, said loops being olned together where they pass over the face of the strap, each of said loops being closed above the strap, and one of said loops being shaped or recessed above the strap, whereby 1t may lie-in front of the point of the buckle-tongue in the same plane therewith, substantially as set forth.

2. A metallic buckle-guard for protecting the tongue of a buckle, made of a single piece of metal and consisting of two metallic loops G H, joined together at a, said joint being above the .strap and in front of and in the same plane with the point of the buckletongue, each of said loops having a bar b, located in a different plane from thejoint a, whereby the strap may pass between said bars Z) and the joint a, and each of said loops having two bends c 0, connecting its bar 1) with the joint a, substantially asset forth.

3. A metallic buckle-guard for protecting the tongue of abuckle, made of a single piece of metal, consisting of two metallic loops G H, joined together at a, said joint being above the strap and in front of and in the same plane with the point of the buckle-tongue, each of said loops having a bar I), located in a different plane from the joint a, whereby the strap may pass between said bars I) and the joint or, the bar of one of said loops being split, the split ends thereof being separated, so as to straddle the buckle-tongue, and each of said loops having two bends c 0, connecting its bar 1) with the joint or, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL S. SARGEANT. Witnesses:

E. D. TUTTLE, C. C. KENDALL. 

